This invention relates to shutter mechanisms and, more particularly, to high speed shutter mechanisms for controlling the emission of x-ray radiation in systems such as computer axial tomography scanners.
Most x-ray equipment utilizes a shutter, namely, a device for selectively blocking or passing an x-ray beam. In computer axial tomography scanning systems for medical diagnostic use, it is important to use a shutter which operates with a very short response time to minimize wasted x-ray dosage to the patient. Shutter response time is the time required for the shutter to be moved to a fully opened or fully closed position. Since useful data cannot be collected until the shutter is fully opened, the patient is subjected to some amount of extraneous, non-utilized x-ray dosage during transition of the shutter from the closed to the fully opened position.